Half of surveyed dads report difficulties with work-life balance

Work-Life Balance

Half of surveyed dads report difficulties with work-life balance

By Debra Cassens Weiss

Mar 15, 2013, 10:45 am CDT

Fathers are feeling increasingly stressed as they seek to balance work and family, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center.

Half of working dads say they find it very or somewhat difficult to balance work and family life, according to the report. The percentage is not that different for working moms, 56 percent of whom report difficulties with work-life balance.

Fathers are spending more time on child care and housework than they did a half century ago, although their time spent on these tasks still lags behind that of women, according to the report. However, when hours devoted to paid work are combined with time spent on child care and housework, the workload among mothers and fathers is nearly equal. The Washington Post notes the findings.

The Pew report is based on its own survey and an analysis of data from the Labor Department’s American Time Use Survey. The report includes these statistics on parents with children under age 18:

• 46 percent of fathers report they are not spending enough time with their children, compared with 23 percent of mothers.

• 40 percent of working mothers and 34 percent of working fathers say they always feel rushed.

• 73 percent of mothers say they are doing an excellent or very good job as a parent, compared with 64 percent of fathers.

Among those who can identify with the findings is Alexandria, Va., assistant city attorney Meghan Roberts. She tells the Washington Post she is concerned about her husband Greg, who works as an accountant during the day and a bartender at night.

“He is always stressed out. I know he worries that he doesn’t spend enough time with our daughter,” Roberts told the newspaper. “But between my student loans and the cost of child care, right now that’s the only thing that makes sense.”